From Ocean to Desert

A self-professed Seeker/Hermit, as well as Critic and Wise Woman/Crone, Janet Sunderland spent a lifetime trying to find healing, purpose, a spiritual community, and God. From Ocean to Desert recounts the part of her journey that began in Hawaii and ended in Kansas, with extended stays in Georgia and New Mexico, and short layovers in Washington, D.C. An intense and life-changing stay at a retreat center near Volcano, Hawaii, gave her space to examine the many dimensions of her life with a supportive, yet challenging, circle of healers, therapists, artists, and spiritual enthusiasts. Her next stop was Georgia, where she lived with her son's family and enrolled her grandson into first grade, while also teaching writing at a nearby college. Yearning for more, she then moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, eager to complete studies at St. John's College, a university program in the Great Books. There her mind and spirit were stretched and strengthened by the best thinkers and writers of all time, and she at last found a spiritual community, The Church of Antioch, that brought her healing, a sense of purpose, and a deep understanding of God. After graduating from St. John's, she entered seminary and was ordained a priest. Her next move took her back to Kansas, where her journey first began. She now lives in Kansas City with her husband, Cliff Kroski.